Full Pour, a business-centric gathering, will join the Brewers Association’s (BA) lineup of events when it debuts next month in San Diego.
“On the eve of Homebrew Con, let’s gather the professional brewing industry together for some beers and a chance to hear midyear updates from industry experts,” the BA wrote on the event’s web page.
Full Pour is set to take place from 1-7 p.m. on Wednesday, June 21, at Town & Country Resort in San Diego, the same venue where the American Homebrewers Association – an offshoot organization of the BA – is slated to host its annual Homebrew Con June 22-24.
Speakers featured at the inaugural Full Pour include:
- BA chief economist Bart Watson;
- Beer Marketer’s Insights (BMI) Craft Brew News senior editor Chris Shepard;
- New Realm Brewing co-founder and COO Mitch Steele.
Watson will deliver a mid-year update on the craft beer industry’s status following a “static” 2022, as well as expand on “the underlying industry, economic, and consumer trends that are shaping craft and what challenges and opportunities those shifts create going forward.”
Shepard, who is also the editor of BMI’s Alcohol Issues Insights, will discuss the headwinds and tailwinds buffeting craft as the industry awaits a potential third wave amid regulatory shifts.
Industry veteran Steele will discuss the persistence of supply chain issues and how timing and inventory of ingredients, packaging supplies and other necessities can affect brewers’ routes to market.
An industry reception follows the official program, which concludes at 5 p.m.
Full Pour’s announcement comes several months after the BA canceled SAVOR, its annual craft beer and food pairing event, citing rising operational costs.
In-person events – which include Craft Brewers Conference, Homebrew Con and the Great American Beer Festival – are a major revenue driver for the BA, and generated $16,173,153 in revenue for the organization in 2019, the year before the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of all live events. That year, revenue declines from the loss of events forced the BA to lay off nearly 40% of its staff.
In 2020, events revenue dipped to $1,701,215, according to the BA’s 2020 stewardship report. With an in-person CBC in 2021, events revenue increased to $7,924,944. 2022 was the first year the BA hosted SAVOR, GABF and HomebrewCon in person since 2019.
Tickets for Full Pour go on sale on May 15 and cost $99 for members and $199 for non-members. Prices for both ticket types will increase by $10 on June 9.